Car title -- paper or electronic?
 

When buying a new car in Florida, the final price generally includes registration and title. I just learned the title is kept electronically by the Florida DMV even after the car is paid off.

Do people normally request a paper copy of the title? Without that, how can the owner prove ownership? Or is proof of ownership not required except when selling it, in which case the transaction goes electronically through the DMV?

The official title is electronic. But, you can go the the DMV office, and they will print one off for you. I got one and they charged me $10.

LOL, just transferred a title from another state and they mailed me a hard copy?

In Florida, the "official" title is electronic, not paper.

Bought a new car in August, got a paper title in the mail.

Either an electronic or a paper title can be used to sell a vehicle.

Although, if you use a paper title, the official ownership status of the vehicle will not change until the new owner applies for a new title through the DMV office. This is stated on the Florida title. Personally, I would not want to depend on the purchaser to apply for a new title before the DMV will change the ownership status. Very complicated.

Bough a new 2025 Buick and the dealer provided a paper title. Makes it much easier if you want to sell your car in the future as you can go to the DMV and have it transferred to the buyer on site.

Just wondering, was it mailed to you from the dealer or from the DMV?

I bought a new 2025 also and the dealer told me the title would be mailed to me from the DMV. I never got it. When I contacted the dealer, they said I have to contact the DMV.

This is what it says on my title:

"Note: The submission of this form, accurately completed, to a tax collector's office, license plate agency or to the address above will allow the title clerk to update the DMV database to reflect the title record as "sold". However, the ownership status will not change until the purchaser applies for and is issued a certificate of title."

So, you can do what you said, but unless the purchaser comes with you, the ownership status will still list you as the vehicle owner. If the purchaser comes with you, you really don't need a paper title because the clerk can use the electronic title to record the sale. My issue is that the purchaser can sign the title, take the vehicle, and never apply for a new title.

The dealer was not correct in telling you that the DMV will send you a title. The DMV will only provide a paper title if you request it and pay for it. Otherwise, it is only an electronic title.

Note that it is possible for the dealer to order and pay for a paper title for you from the DMV, but if they don't, it is not automatic. In your case, it sounds like they did not.

OP, I would suggest that you visit the tax collector office at Powell Road and Rt. 466A. They can verify that you are correctly recorded as the vehicle owner and they can print out a paper copy of the title. This only takes a few minutes. I would not trust anything the dealer says.

Dmv

Here is the deal because I have been through it. If you want to sell the car on your own you will need a paper title. If you are going to trade in the vehicle you do not but if it has a loan on it then the title will be electronic (saving money I guess). You can go down to the motor vehicle department and get a paper title sent to you. The fee use to be $10 but may have gone up.

Correct, except that there is always an electronic title, even if there is no loan. I have an electronic title, and I have never had a loan. I would recommend getting a paper title anyway. I paid $10 for my "paper" title, scanned it, and it is stored on my Google drive.

The only potential problem is that, if you sell the vehicle using only the paper title, the DMV will still show you as the owner of the vehicle. I guess this is because, unless the purchaser applies for a new title, the DMV has no way to know who actually owns the vehicle. The purchaser may have sold the vehicle to someone else.